The 2016 Cadillac Escala concept. Cadillac is changing its naming scheme back to actual words, ditching the alphanumeric convention that, to some, has felt less-than-personable these past few years.The rollout of the electric vehicles is the time well start to move back toward naming, said Cadillac President Steve Carlisle.The name change comes as Cadillac prepares to launch a host of new battery-electric vehicles, according to Automotive News.The original alphanumeric nomenclature was the brainchild of Johan de Nysschen, Carlisles predecessor, who also worked at Audi and Infiniti. The idea behind it was to give a more European feel to the brand as well as a clear hierarchy, with names like XT5 and CT6, but it also meant dropping historic names like Seville, DeVille and Eldorado. Were entering the decade as an internal-combustion-engine brand, he said. Well exit the decade as a battery-electric brand. Its the end of the ICE age for Cadillac.Cadillac will gradually be converted into GMs EV brand; it plans to have 20 all-new electric vehicles by 2023. As Carlisle stated, by 2030 the majority of Cadillacs will be electric.As for the brands current vehicles, theyll likely receive a refresh sometime in the future before fully transitioning to EVs. The brand-new Escalade is set to be revealed in February, and will be transitioned to an EV eventually, though not before it gets Cadillacs Super Cruise hands-free driver-assist system, with a few improvements, such as automated
Origin: Cadillac is going back to real names for its cars as it switches to EVs
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News Roundup: Key-fob-relay thieves hit Ontario, CR names the year’s best and worst, and more
Sometimes, a defective key fob can be the cause of glitches with your cars alarm system.Supplied / iStock.com Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.Look out Toyota and Lexus owners! Key fob relay thefts on the rise in CanadaCanadian thieves have been capitalizing on the key fob’s imperfect digital security to steal dozens of newer Lexus and Toyota vehicles from Ontario driveways. A report by the CBC explains how tech-savvy criminals are making hay by catching the key fob’s wireless signal near the front doors of a drivers’ homes, and tossing them to a second device which is then used to open and start the vehicles. Scary, but there’s good news: you can protect yourself with something called a Faraday pouch. Consumer Reports names 2019’s most (and least) reliable modelsConsumer Reports released a pair of insightful lists, naming the year’s most and least reliable vehicles, as identified through driver surveys. The research organization landed on a pretty typical collection of worst and best, with mostly Japanese-made cars on the top and mostly American-made on the bottom.Beating out Lexus for the number-one spot was the Mazda MX-5 Miata (that’s right, a sports car!) while the Chevrolet Colorado brought up the rear at the very bottom. Reports suggest GM will take a loss on base CorvettesThe new Chevrolet Corvette is a predator, and not just because it looks like the kind of creature that, if it had a chance under the cover of darkness, would totally eat your baby. It’s also priced like a predator. According to a GM source quoted by Motor Trend, the $69,998 tag on the C8 ‘Vette “would have to go through the roof in order to cover GM’s cost” in the coming years. So brace, if you want a base, or buy now. Jaguar F-Type 2021 hits 450 km/h (on Hot Wheels track)Jaguar took to the toy chest to hype up a mid-model refresh of its F-Type. With a video of a camouflaged toy car ripping down a 232-metre Hot Wheels track, the British brand teased and then revealed (in pieces) the new two-seater. You can watch the stunt, which includes multiple loop-the-loops, “gravity-defying” jumps and peaks at the bits of the actual F-Type including its grille, head rest and wheels before its full reveal at the end, right here. 2020 Nissan Qashqai gets priced just over $20,000As Nissan’s second-best-selling model in Canada, the Qashqai is worthy of any SUV shopper’s attention. With a recently announced starting price of $21,498 for the base S MT FWD model, the Qashqai is $1,300 more than its predecessor, but comes with a bunch of added comfort features like rear-seat heating and cooling, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus a suite of intelligent safety systems including high-beam assist, rear sonar, traffic sign recognition and driver attention
Origin: News Roundup: Key-fob-relay thieves hit Ontario, CR names the year’s best and worst, and more
Nissan names China boss as new CEO
Nissan has named the head of its Chinese division, Makoto Uchida, as its new boss, heading up a revamped management team as the firm tries to draw a line under recent scandals. Uchida’s appointment by the Japanese firm’s board of directors was made after the sudden resignation of Hiroto Saikawa, the previous chief executive officer. Saikawa had admitted to being improperly overpaid following revelations that came to light in a report based on an internal investigation into suspected financial misconduct by former chairman Carlos Ghosn and director Greg Kelly. Uchida was a surprise choice for the CEO role, with the 53-year-old being a relative outsider, having spent much of his recent past working outside of Japan. Having joined Nissan in 2003, Uchida was appointed head of the firm’s Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng in 2018 and also took on responsibility for Nissan’s own China operation. Uchida will be joined by new chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta, who currently holds the same role for sister firm Mitsubishi. The Indian has also led the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s commercial vehicle division. Jun Seki, Nissan’s senior vice-president, who was considered one of the favourites for the CEO role, has been named vice-chief operating officer. The three will start in their new roles by the start of 2020. The three choices suggest that Nissan is hoping that bringing in new management from outside the firm’s Japanese base will enable it to move on from the Ghosn revelations. Yasushi Kimura, the chair of Nissan’s board of directors, called Uchida “the right leader to drive the business forward”, adding that they expected him “to lead the company as one team, immediately focus on the recovery of the business and revitalise the
Origin: Nissan names China boss as new CEO
Ford to launch three new model names by 2024 in Europe
Ford’s rollout of its redesigned European business plan will result in a radical overhaul of its large car range, as the maker confirms three new model nameplates for the region in the next five years. The firm has stated in a release that it is “freshening and expanding its vehicle-line-up in Europe”, with the three new nameplates coming “as it continues to grow its utility vehicle portfolio,” The new models, which are in addition to the new Kuga family SUV, Puma small crossover and not-for-UK Explorer, also include the “Mustang-inspired fully electric performance utility” model, as Ford dubs it. Stuart Rowley, Ford of Europe president, told Autocar that the European focus is on an expansion of its “family utility lineup”, but wouldn’t confirm specific names or models that will be replaced. “We are very focused in orienting our portfolio with where consumers are going. Many buyers are moving into the utility space, but for us the key question is where buyers are going next”. When asked if these new cars would indirectly replace slow-selling D-segment models such as the Mondeo, Galaxy and S-Max, Rowley said the three models “remain part of our product portfolio for now. However, we need to adapt to the changing market”. Alongside this announcement, Ford has released a status report of its European business strategy changes, which will see three new ‘business groups’ – Commercial Vehicles, Passenger vehicles and Imports – established. The organisational changes to implement this will come into force on July 1st. The restructure will means a substantial number of job losses, from a factory worker level up to a managerial rethink. Ford employs around 53,000 people across its European operation, so the cuts represent a total of 22% of its workforce. Including Russia, around 12,000 jobs will be “impacted”, including 2000 salaried positions set to be axed. Around 3,000 jobs will be “affected” in the UK from now until the end of 2020, including 1700 jobs at Bridgend. This is made up of “agency employees, salary employees and management” Rowley stated. By the end of 2020, Ford will have 18 manufacturing facilities in Europe, as opposed to 24 at the start of this year. The leaner structure and strategy rethink mean Rowley expects profitabiity for the second half of this year to “significantly improve” over the £315m loss posted in Europe last year. The long-term goal is to achieve a margin of 6% on earnings before taxes and interest. Rowley also claimed Ford is “on track to meet its obligations” with European Union emissions targets, which will see carmakers face huge fines if they can’t lower their fleet CO2 average by 25% before the end of 2020. It will achieve this by launching 16 electrified models, including eight due to be launched by the end of this
Origin: Ford to launch three new model names by 2024 in Europe
Listen to these Montreal comedians’ viral parody songs about car names
Étienne Dano is a well-known humorist (and comedian, and TV/radio collaborator) in Québec. Arnaud Soly is a newer talent, with a knack for, among other things, parody songs based on weird themes. Think cities’ names, subway stations and—cheese. A week ago, both met at Auto St-Hubert, a used vehicles dealership on Montreal’s South Shore, to show people while they may not have the greatest voices in town, they know their way around parody songs. And cars. In fact, they know enough to craft this two-minutes spoof video – where it’s a matter of Volvo coucher avec moi ce soir – that went viral on Etienne’s Facebook page, with over 400,000 views in just three days. Among the 15 or so short singing clips transformed to relate to vehicles, you’ll recognize “Hyundai is gonna be the day” from Oasis’ Wonderwall; as well as the infamous jingle from Da Giovanni’s restaurants. (This time, it’s “Dodge Giovanni” that will stick in your head for days…) In our opinion, the best is their take on a classic The Beatles’ tune: “Hey Juke/ Don’t make Outback/ Take a Saab song/ And make it Boxster” Even if you don’t recognize “J’ai de la misère en Chrysler/ J’ai du Nissan-timent dans le sang” from the Québec group La Chicane; or “Journey d’a Buick” sung to the tune of Richard Séguin’s Journée d’Amérique, don’t worry: subtitles are there to help your
Origin: Listen to these Montreal comedians’ viral parody songs about car names
Autocar names Great British Women in the Car Industry sponsors for 2019
This year’s Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry – Rising Stars initiative, in partnership with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), will be sponsored by Nissan, Toyota and CDK Global. The event, to be held in London on 19 June, recognises the achievements of women working in a range of automotive fields including sales, marketing, manufacturing and vehicle development. Toyota, which returns as a sponsor this year, is working to increase the representation of women in their business. Over the past 12 months, women have made up 54% of all external appointments to Toyota plc, the sales and marketing company for Toyota and Lexus products in the UK. Since 2016, Toyota has been part of the Automotive 30% Club, pledging for women to make up 30% of key leadership positions in the business by 2023, and 25% of senior executive roles within the next five years. Toyota (GB) plc president and managing director Paul Van der Burgh said: “We’re hugely proud to be supporters of Autocar’s Great British Women Awards. Highlighting some of the best female talent in the UK’s automotive industry is a vital part of this initiative, of course, but in doing so we are also sending a message to the brightest and best young women out there that this exciting and evolving industry is the place to be. “Diversity matters not only because it is right, but also because it is business-critical to our future. I’m proud that more than half of all external appointments to Toyota (GB) plc in the past 12 months have been women, and that through our strong support of the Automotive 30% Club, Toyota has been at the forefront of opening doors for women taking leadership opportunities in this industry.” Nissan also returns as a sponsor this year. The car maker has taken part in a range of initiatives to open doors for women in the automotive industry. Through award-winning school projects such as the Girls in Monozukuri, Manufacturing and Engineering programme, to participation in the Women in Science and Engineering programme, Nissan is encouraging female progression across a range of key industry sectors. Nissan Europe’s talent management director, Adrienn Toussaint, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Autocar in these fantastic, celebratory awards for a second year running. With over 8000 Nissan employees across the UK, we’re immensely proud to play a part in helping to nurture and grow talent in all areas of the automotive industry. “Through our Nissan Skills Foundation at NMUK, we’re encouraging more and more young females to think about their future with us and, across all of our UK entities, we continue to harness and promote talented women across the business.” Technology firm CDK Global features as a sponsor for the first time this year. As a leading provider of IT and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail industry, CDK Global provides integrated technology to automotive dealers around the globe. Neil Packham, CEO of CDK Global, said: “The automotive industry is in a period of massive disruption. Car manufacturers and dealers are thinking differently about what products and services they provide to meet changing consumer expectations and requirements. Technology platforms will enable these changes in our industry. “It is a very exciting time with huge opportunities, but to ensure we are well-positioned to continue to innovate and grow, we need to continue to attract the best talent. We are proud to be a part of celebrating the best women in the industry and the rising stars who are going to build a bright future.” Peugeot is supporting the initiative with a session led by brand ambassador Judy Murray, while the Volkswagen Group is sponsoring the New Mobility Digital Solutions category. The shortlisted winners will be revealed at a ceremony in central London on Wednesday 19 June. The afternoon event will run from 1.30pm to 5.30pm and feature presentations from key industry figures including Laura Schwab, Aston Martin’s president of the Americas. Space for the event is strictly limited, with priority given to winners and past winners. However, a limited number of tickets will be available. Anyone interested in attending the event should contact Autocar at
Origin: Autocar names Great British Women in the Car Industry sponsors for 2019
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